Kazan hosts World Student Games

Also known as the World Student Games, Universiade is second only to the Olympics in the number of participants and countries represented. Source: Getty Images / Fotobank

Student athletes from 170 countries will compete across 27 categories – from gymnastics to water polo – at the XXVII Summer Universiade in Kazan.

The historical Russian city of Kazan will host this year’s Summer
Universiade – a biennial competition organised by the International
University Sports Federation (FISU).

The first Summer Universiade, held in Turin, Italy, in 1959, involved
1000 athletes. Now, the event is one of the largest sporting events in
the world, and Australia will be sending its brightest student athletes
to join 13,000 competitors, in the games running July 6 to 17.

A 28-strong squad heading to Kazan confirmed by Athletics Australia
boasts six national champions. There are two stand-out names in the
team: Hobart’s javelin thrower Hamish Peacock and Commonwealth Games
bronze medal-winning triple jumper Alwyn Jones, from Adelaide.

Australia’s best

“The Qantas Australian Athletics Championships and Selection Trial were
the basis for selection to the athletics team for the World University
Games, and we’re very proud to be able to pick such a strong team,” said
Dion Russell, Athletics Australia's chair of selectors.

“With the exception of one athlete, who had a medical exemption, all
those selected competed at the Nationals and have achieved at least one
qualifying standard for the World University Games”, he added.

Two rhythmic gymnasts, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Danielle
Prince from Brisbane and Sydney’s Enid Sung, will be flying the
Australian flag during the Games opening ceremony.

The Australian squad achieved its highest-ever medal haul in 2011, at
the last Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China. Taking 16 medals, the
team was only two golds short of breaking into the medal tally top ten.

“U are the world” is the official motto of this year's Games, and a
winged snow leopard – an emblem of the Tartarstan Republic – is the
official mascot of the event.

About Kazan

Eduard Shakirov, head of the consular section at the Russian Embassy in
Canberra, happens to be from Kazan – a city which, he proudly points
out, is older than Moscow. Shakirov talked to RBTH about the planning
and infrastructure development involved in preparing for the games.

“The high levels of capital investment have come not just from the
Republic’s budget [Republic of Tartarstan], but also from the federal
government,” he said. “The event and the new infrastructure – which
includes an Olympic village to house 13,000 visiting athletes – will
give the city a boost and will increase its international profile.”

Kazan, the capital of a Muslim-majority ethno-republic on the Volga and
Kazanka rivers, east of Moscow acquired the right in 2009 to brand
itself as the “Third Capital” of Russia from the Russian Patent Office.

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Two months ago, when Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected sports
facilities built specially for the Universiade, he declared that Kazan
was on its way to becoming Russia's premier sporting city.

Since 2000,
Russia's eighth most populous city has had a facelift, with its historic
centre and Kremlin (listed as a World Heritage Site) being rebuilt in
time for the city’s millennium celebrations in 2005.

“The Summer Universiade is just the beginning for Kazan,” Shakirov
said. “The city will also host the World Aquatics Championship in 2015
and the FIFA World Cup in 2018.”